Eagles in Good Position?

I know the Phillies started and I can see you were all introduced to Brian’s beat ass Fazool’s fantasy team, but I just love the flexibility Andy Reid has right now and needed to get some thoughts on it. If reports are true and the Eagles want a 1st round pick for Lito and actually get it, they would be in a great position.

By the end of this month the Eagles COULD (I put it in bold for you Fozzie Bear, so don’t get fucking pissy) get Chad Johnson in a trade for Lito Sheppard and a pick. I dont think they will need to give them Lito and the #19 pick. The Birds could get Roy Williams in a similar deal for Lito too. So when you think about it we either have the #1 receiver we all want and we draft a “now” player at #19 like a safety, Jonathan Stewart, Mendenhall, a DE, or whatever falls to us OR they mighht have two picks in round one which just means Eagles fans could see fireworks on April 26th.

Imagine it, the Birds have the #19 pick and lets say like a #18 pick which we get for Lito (hopefully with a few teams showing interest we get a high teen or early 20’s pick). The Eagles can package those two picks and be picking in the 5th or 4th spot easily. According to the NFL draft chart #18 and #19 equal about 1875 combined, the 5th is worth 1800 and the 4th is 2000. We also hold the #49 (420) and #80 (195). So the Eagles would have more then enough firepower to get all the way up to #3 (2200) if they wanted to. At #3 there is a slim chance Chris Long falls (Remember I am not saying these are PROBABLE, but they are POSSIBLE). If not we choose between a Jake Long or Vernon Gholston. Pat Kirwin reports that at the owners meetings he spoke to a lot of teams that have Gholston as the top rated talent and he could go #1 and be Parcell’s LT I guess. The bottom line is that Reid, Heckert, and company would have the flexibility to do a lot. Could you imagine McFadden in Philly? That would be once of the best two-back systems in this crazy copy-cat league.

What about this they draft Dorsey or Ellis then they move to a 3-4 with Patterson/Bunkley on the line and Cole off one edge with Clemmons/Gocong on the other. Gaither and Bradley in the middle. (This would be an anniversary gift from Reid to Jim Johnson and his wife because there would be no need for the little blue pill in that house anymore.) This type of flexibilty could mean Jim Johnson makes this defense FEARED. What if the Eagles package the #19 and our #49 and move up to like #10 or #11 and get whoever they think is the top corner. Rodgers-Cromartie, McKelvin, Jenkins, so the net out with an slight upgrade at corner and a huge upgrade at the nickel (over Joselio who we all know does not cut it). Now Jim Johnson has three really good CB’s to play with. Maybe Reid drafts one of the “second tier” OL like Otah, Williams, Albert, Clady. I could go on forever.

I think that many fans are going to be very excited in the next 30 days because if the rumors are true and Lito is worth a 1st rounder, the possibilities are simply end-less, but we will definitely could be holding a huge hand on draft day. (or we get a 2nd or 3rd round pick and give Lito away, which would piss off just about everyone)

NFL Draft Preview: Chris Johnson

Chris Johnson, RB, East Carolina

5’11   197 lbs   4.24 – 40 yards

Pros:  Extremely fast and elusive.  Very explosive.  A complete terror to tackle in the open field.  Fantastic receiver with outstanding hands.  Runs very good routes and has great vision as a RB and a WR.  A very versitale weapon RB, WR, KR and dangerous at each position.  He is a standout weight lifter so if very solid and strong for his size.  He averaged 227.69 all purpose yards which lead the NCAA.  He was 24th with 109.5 yards rushing per game and is only the 24th person in NCAA history to gain over 6,000 all-purpose yards.  After suffering a toe injury which limited his production in 2006 came back in 2007 and put up 1,423 yards rushing with a 6.0 yard/attempt, and 17 TD’s, 528 yards receiving on 37 catches with 6 TD’s, along with his kick return production.  He was #4 in vertical jump and #3 broad jump for RB’s at the combine.

Cons:  A little small for a RB, does not pick up blocks well, tried to bounce too much outside.  Durablity is a concern.  Does not have a true position and is a bit of a WR/RB ‘tweener’.  He is not a very physical runner.

How he fits with the Eagles:  Just imagine having a Reno Mahe, who was athletic, explosive, and everytime he touched the ball in space you got that feeling semi hard feeling in your pants you get when #36 gets the ball in space.  We need playmakers and that is what Johnson is.  He fits perfectly into Reid’s philosophy, being a great WR/RB and can contribute as a KR as a rookie too.  He is also from a smaller school, which means the Eagles can reach for him in 2nd round and not lose a beat.  He is projected anywhere in the 2nd round from early to late.  Oh yeah, he has a nice gold grill piece which goes along with our 2008 philosphy.  Reid knew we needed some bling to compete.  Also, every year I fall in love with one prospect.  Last year it was Patrick Willis and in 2006 it was Brandon Marshall, Antonio Cromartie, and DeAngelo Williams.  This year it is Johnson.  He has superstar written all over him.

NFL Draft Preview: James Hardy

James Hardy, WR, Indiana

6’6   220 lbs   4.51 secs – 40 yards

Pros:  Lets start with his size.  This WR is 6’6 220 lbs and runs a 4.51 forty.  He was the 78th ranked Prep High School Basketball player his senior year and played basketball and football his freshman year at Indiana.  He is very athletic with long arms and big hands.  He catches the ball very well and uses his big body to create additional space in tight areas.  He is a terror in the red zone.  He ranked in the top 10 in 4 categories at the combine for WR’s.  Bench press, Broad Jump, 3 cone, and 20 yard shuttle.  This shows that he has explosion and quick feet. 

Cons:  Not a great blocker, but what WR is these days.  Needs to get a little stronger, but has the frame to get that done.  He has a few character concerns, but nothing too serious.  He is still pretty raw and has only really focused on football for two years, but was a Junior All-American so he obviously has the skill.

How he fits with the EAGLES:  He is rising rather quickly up draft boards, but if the Birds are not able to secure a WR via a trade, Hardy fits in very well with their need of a red zone threat.  People are comparing him to Plaxico, but I would compare him more to Marques Colston.  The bad part is that Eagles WRs never play as rookies, but he could perhaps focus on red-zone packages and have a niche his rookie year.  #19 in the first round is too high for him and he may be gone by our second round pick.  Maybe a trade down for an addition 3rd round pick and grab him in the early part of the second round.  Everyone has us locked in to draft a tackle in round 1, but I am not sure they are locked in on that position.  McNabb needs a play-maker and they are trying to get him one, plus they have Winston Justice who is not nearly as bad as he played against the Giants and the Eagles really like Pat McCoy.  They could also move Herremans to LT and put Max-Jean in at guard.  I think they go with play-makers early. 

Next up:  Chris Johnson, RB/WR, East Carolina

NFL Draft Preview: Leodis McKelvin

Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy

5’10 ¾ 190lbs  4.38 sec – 40 yards

Pros:  A very athletic corner with excellent timed speed and an outstanding burst to close.  Has great footwork, fluid hips, and is smooth in his transitions.  He is a natural man coverage and is best in a man to man system, but shows the ability to play in a zone system as well.  He is not afraid to support in the run game and is a very good tackler.   Electric in the return game. 

Cons:  His competition level was not very high.  He relied a lot on his athletic ability against smaller competition, needs to work on technique and be more disciplined using it on every play. 

Notes:  He fits in to the Eagles right away as a return man right away.  Averaged 13.1 yards per punt return with 7 TDs and 23.7 yards per kickoff return with 1 TD.  He was up to 17.4 yards per punt return with 3 TDs as a senior which gave him many All-American honors.  The same knock of being a smaller school that plays against lesser talent has not slowed down the progress of Osi Umenyiora or DeMarcus Ware who both are Troy Alumni.  If the Eagles trade Lito for a WR, then Leodis would be the starting return man and a nickel or situation corner.  Best case scenario he can start if Sheldon Brown is eventually moved to safety.  He will most likely be the top CB taken and it may take a trade into the top 10 to get him.  As far as playmakers go, this guy is right there with anyone else in this draft as far as return men go.    

TKO’d

So Takeo Spikes gets cut, clearing $5 million in cap room. Is the other shoe about to drop?

My immediate reaction to the Eagles cutting Takeo Spikes is that it is a very sound move.  He was not much better then the young guys and it freed up cap space. He made a lot of nice goaline plays last year, but like the rest of the defense he could not catch an INT. Spikes injury history and age had a lot to do with it, but I believe this move more then anything shows that the coaches are very impressed with their young group of linebackers. I believe this means that Double J’s either likes Stew Bradley at MLB, Gaither at the WILL, and GoCong; providing the defense with even enough versatility to go 3-4 (would look like this).

• D – Line : Howard, Bunkley, Patterson, Cole, Abiamiri (3 of these 4, great combos in different situations)
• LB Corps : Gaither, Bradley, Gocong, Clemmons

OR

They like a MLB in the draft. Most likely Dan Connor because he is a local guy and a F-in stud.

The fact that Eagle brass also freed up $5 million in cap space could be the hint that another move is on the horizon ….. ahhhem Larry

Don’t, Don’t, Don’t, Don’t Believe the Hype

Source: Update on Wide Receiver Hunt

March 5, 2008

Jel Kiper here to report some info that I found this morning.

A source close to the situation, the same person that broke the Asante Samuel signing to us, has confirmed that the Eagles will seek Roy Williams or Chad Johnson in a trade. The source told us to expect the Eagles to bring in a big name wide receiver this offseason. Asante Samuel was number one on the list and a big name receiver was a close number two. The Eagles are currently sitting tight awaiting to hear about the Larry Fitzgerald negotiations, but they will also seek Roy Williams or Chad Johnson if the Fitzgerald deal seems unlikely.

This confirms earlier reports by OTR that the Eagles are indeed loading up for a run. Eagles fans should be very excited that the Eagles organization is ready to take the team to the next level. Pieces are being put in place and hopefully all goals will be accomplished this offseason so the Eagles can make a Super Bowl run.

Don’t believe the propaganda that Reid, Banner, and Spadaro are throwing out.  They cant seem desperate, even though they are.

Green Thoughts

The Eagles jumped right in on Friday’s free agency when they signed the biggest name on the first day. Asante Samuel is a great CB who can press, play off coverage, blitz, and most of all make big plays. Samuel’s biggest strengths are being able to drop back and get in and out of his breaks while keeping an eye on the quarterback. This allows him to make big jumps on passes and create turnovers. He also is a very smart cornerback. He reads routes well and understands offensive concepts so he can see one route develop and know the complimentary route that goes along with it.  To sum it up Asante is smart and aggressive which should bode well in Double J’s style of defense. 

Chris Clemons’ signing was made out to be a bigger deal then it really is.  Clemons is way too small to be an every down DE. At 245 lbs he will see time on 3rd and long and other obvious passing situations. In my opinion he may see about 10 snaps a game. In those 10 snaps this high motor DE can create serious havoc with Trent Cole and maybe another DE (Howard, Abiamiri, etc) moving to DT on those plays. This guy is a role player, which we all know have importance, but he is not the answer to finding a DE that can play with Cole.

So what now? Did the storm pass? Let me throw a couple of “indicators” that tells me they have something else up their sleeves. I don’t think anyone can argue that Big Red seems to think he has his shit together and borderlines arrogant in the way he continually does the same thing, thinking it will work now when it has fallen short in the past. I think when you understand that, along with listening to Jeff Lurie during the Samuel press conference talk about how he does not want to be the type of owner who steers clear of certain positions when mistakes have been made with those positions in the past (aka WR and T.O. or drafting a DE high in round 1, Jerome McDougle).

So the question remains, is there a second part to signing Samuel. I am not part of the small group who thinks that Lito can/will play with Samuel. First of all, Lito wants more loot and playing with someone making a boatload more just will not work. Second of all, Sheldon COULD play FS, but I don’t think he is best suited for FS and he is not big enough to play SS. So Lito has to go, sell high, and understand he is undersized and injury prone. We simply cannot have him missing 4-6 games a year.

I am going to throw out the bottom 9 teams in pass defense and see if they have a player who might match Lito’s skill and could be a potential match.

1. Vikings – With the worst pass defense giving up 264 passing yards per game. Childress and Reid remain in open dialogue and I am sure the Vikings would like Lito, but for what price? I don’t think the Vikings would give up the #17 pick for Lito and I don’t think they have anything else we want.

2. Lions – Yes, they are hurting for a CB and their pass defense has been bad for YEARS. Roy Williams is someone every Eagles fan would love on this roster. Would you do Lito and our 2nd or 3rd for Roy Williams? I would certainly consider it heavily.

3. Saints – They just signed Randall Gay so in their minds they are probably set now. I would trade Lito for Colston,but I’m not so sure Saints would be down.

4. Bills – How about Lito for Lee Evans? Maybe the Bills sign Bryant Johnson and trade Evans before he is an UFA next year. We would need to work out an extension first, but this works well for both teams.

5. Cardinals – Whatever it takes for Larry Fitzgerald. I repeat, WHATEVER it TAKES! Boldin is a perfect fit for our offense so if Larry is not available, is Quan?

6. Bears – They have no talent (Period).

7. Bengals – Ocho Cinco for Lito in a package deal. You want a deep threat, he is one of the best.

8. Texans – I would love Andre Johnson, but they would need to be unbelievably stupid to want to trade ‘Dre.  So maybe, it is Houston, and they did just resign Andre Davis.

9. Falcons – Roddy White was pretty impressive last year with no real QB. Raise your hand if you are an Eagles fan and Roddy White is the #1 WR you were looking for.

Free Agents :

Randy Moss – Resigned with the Pats – 3 yr, $27 million. Apparently Samuel told Banner and Big Red how great of a teammate Randy is and how much he has matured. This would be right in line with Kearse/TO in 2004. Biggest defensive FA on day one, followed by the top WR available.

Bryant Johnson – He was the Cardinal’s #3, so he could be signed to be our #1….that seems about right.

Draft:

Six of the top seven teams need help at CB. I could see the Eagles packaging up Lito and their #1 to make a big jump on draft day for their future LT or a stud DE. Chris Long, Jake Long, Vernon Gholston, Ryan Clady could all be targets to make a big move on draft day. Chris Long and Jake Long are flat out studs. Gholston is a freak athletically and played very well at OSU. Clady could be a reach, but OT talent always seems to go early.

What will the Eagles do next?               1) Bring in a WR       2) Package Lito       3) Another FA pickup       4) Add via the Draft       5) Stand Pat                View Results